Nappies traditionally consisted of a square of cotton material (toweling) which was folded and secured in position by means of a safety pin. These traditional nappies have suffered from the disadvantage that the wet cloth stays in contact with the baby. A still further disadvantage is that they are not shaped to fit the baby and must be folded in an awkward manner before being applied.
More recently disposable nappies (disposable diapers) have become popular. They are particularly well adapted for maintaining the baby However a disadvantage of these known disposable nappies is the environmental problem in respect of their manufacture and disposal.